silver has been around since ancient Greece and Rome so its unclear who or exactly when it was discovered. A major defining moment of silver history was the discovery of the New World in 1492. After this time major silver mines in Mexico, Peru, & Bolivia were opened causing a rapid rise in the production of silver worldwide. Later improvements especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries really improved silver production. Only about 25% of increasing world silver production occurred before the 1770s.
silver has been around since ancient Greece and Rome so its unclear who or exactly when it was discovered. A major defining moment of silver history was the discovery of the New World in 1492. After this time major silver mines in Mexico, Peru, & Bolivia were opened causing a rapid rise in the production of silver worldwide. Later improvements especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries really improved silver production. Only about 25% of increasing world silver production occurred before the 1770s.